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The Coded Crucifix: An Aaron Thornton Thriller
Wartime secrets. A modern killer. In Pamplona, you can’t outrun the past.
In this pulse-pounding sequel to the award-winning ‘Born of Bombs and Bullets,’ FBI psychologist Aaron Thornton returns to Europe to help British and Spanish authorities stop a terror attack.
An informant has learned fragments of an international conspiracy targeting Pamplona, Spain. The plot coincides with the legendary Running of the Bulls, when hundreds of thousands of visitors from around the world pack the city's ancient streets.
But the intelligence is maddeningly incomplete. No one knows the true objective—only the location, the timeline, and the nickname of the man chosen to carry it out: an elusive mercenary whose meticulous planning, ruthless efficiency, and lethal skills make him nearly impossible to stop.
With just seven days until the start of the festival, Thornton is drawn into a deadly contest of strategy, deception, and survival. As he closes in on his quarry, long-buried secrets resurface and set in motion a chain of events that threatens the mission and everyone he loves.
Against the backdrop of one of the world's most exhilarating festivals, Thornton must confront his own demons and outwit a relentless enemy—before a celebration becomes a catastrophe.
In this pulse-pounding sequel to the award-winning ‘Born of Bombs and Bullets,’ FBI psychologist Aaron Thornton returns to Europe to help British and Spanish authorities stop a terror attack.
An informant has learned fragments of an international conspiracy targeting Pamplona, Spain. The plot coincides with the legendary Running of the Bulls, when hundreds of thousands of visitors from around the world pack the city's ancient streets.
But the intelligence is maddeningly incomplete. No one knows the true objective—only the location, the timeline, and the nickname of the man chosen to carry it out: an elusive mercenary whose meticulous planning, ruthless efficiency, and lethal skills make him nearly impossible to stop.
With just seven days until the start of the festival, Thornton is drawn into a deadly contest of strategy, deception, and survival. As he closes in on his quarry, long-buried secrets resurface and set in motion a chain of events that threatens the mission and everyone he loves.
Against the backdrop of one of the world's most exhilarating festivals, Thornton must confront his own demons and outwit a relentless enemy—before a celebration becomes a catastrophe.
402 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 29, 2026
About the author
David A. Dummer
3 books8 followersDavid A. Dummer is a travel writer, Emmy-nominated producer, and award-winning author of the Aaron Thornton International Thrillers series. His background as a crime investigator and clinical therapist brings a unique blend of psychological insight and investigative realism to his thrillers.
Dummer has explored 46 countries across five continents, drawing inspiration from the people, conflicts, and hidden history he encounters. His adventures fuel the narratives of his fiction, and fellow explorers can find his past travel articles archived at www.trexpose.com.
Dummer holds degrees in International Affairs from Georgetown University and Clinical Counseling from Johns Hopkins University. When he’s not writing or traveling, he resides on the East Coast of the United States—though he’s always ready for the next adventure. Discover more about his upcoming projects at www.daviddummer.com.
Dummer has explored 46 countries across five continents, drawing inspiration from the people, conflicts, and hidden history he encounters. His adventures fuel the narratives of his fiction, and fellow explorers can find his past travel articles archived at www.trexpose.com.
Dummer holds degrees in International Affairs from Georgetown University and Clinical Counseling from Johns Hopkins University. When he’s not writing or traveling, he resides on the East Coast of the United States—though he’s always ready for the next adventure. Discover more about his upcoming projects at www.daviddummer.com.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
October 26, 2026
Mr. Dummer’s sophomore work, The Coded Crucifix, clearly shows a writer who is maturing and evolving in his storytelling capabilities. While I thoroughly enjoyed his maiden effort, Born of Bombs and Bullets, The Coded Crucifix once again features FBI psychologist Dr. Aaron Thornton jetting off to Spain to assist in an investigation of an international terrorist plot targeting UK royalty. The book convincingly ties in Thornton’s work relationship with an IRA informant and former patient to a new assignment weaving in a terrorist network spanning Venezuela, Spain, Argentina and Ireland. There is some complexity to the tale and I like the fact that Mr. Dummer requires the investment of his readers to get to know the various players, their personal histories and motivations for their actions. Absorbing and processing the story, and the political and financial yearnings of the innocent and the evil, yields a satisfying and exciting payoff for the reader. Fortunately, Mr. Dummer’s painstaking research into the story’s backdrop of the running of the bulls at the San Fermin festival in Pamplona, Spain, and the historical ties between Spanish military general Francisco Franco and Nazi Germany punched the ticket for this reader to step into a world where the IRA could in fact conspire with a Venezuelan terrorist to attempt a potentially deadly plot.
I particularly liked how Mr. Dummer often relies on a writing style that allows the reader to feel the action, as if watching a movie. Interspersing such sequences with believable dialogue among the characters allows the underlying story to continue to percolate to the surface. This kept me constantly in tune with the elaborate tale, the unfolding dilemma and the feelings of the characters as they battle one another. Additionally, Mr. Dummer’s understanding of the mechanics of Federal law enforcement, international investigative agencies, European history, and the Spanish bullfighting industry, underpinned the strong foundations supporting these personal relationships.
The Coded Crucifix offered up surprisingly novel twists at the end. While the story’s plot took some turns which were unexpected, the various outcomes and how they splintered off from expectations showed an evolving outlook on the part of the writer. Terrorism and anti-terrorism efforts are both slogs requiring constant, laborious and at times sputtering actions by both evil and good. And just because one case is solved doesn’t mean another attack and the thwarting of it doesn’t just lurk around the corner. I enjoyed that Mr. Dummer subtlety conveyed the fatigue and failure that impacts and infects the minds of those characters stoically committed to bringing about the death to innocent civilians or saving humanity. The good guys don’t always win and the bad guys don’t always lose. That reality is on display in Mr. Dummer’s stellar book.
Lastly, I would like to read more about the backstory behind some of the main characters. There are references to Thornton’s wife Claire, a major character in Born of Bombs and Bullets. Her role in The Coded Crucifix is fairly minor but clearly Thornton has been traumatized by his relationship with her. I would like to know more about what happened to their marriage and how those feelings drive Thornton’s actions. Thornton’s relationship with Sarah Maylor of the international investigative team hints at a potential romantic relationship. This reader wanted to know if their close working relationship might lead to something of a personal nature. This could provide an interesting sidebar to the “all work and no play” collaboration between Thornton and Maylor.
These are small issues though and perhaps Mr. Dummer will further enrich Thornton’s character tapestry in his next book. I for one look forward to the next thriller to spill from the pen of
I particularly liked how Mr. Dummer often relies on a writing style that allows the reader to feel the action, as if watching a movie. Interspersing such sequences with believable dialogue among the characters allows the underlying story to continue to percolate to the surface. This kept me constantly in tune with the elaborate tale, the unfolding dilemma and the feelings of the characters as they battle one another. Additionally, Mr. Dummer’s understanding of the mechanics of Federal law enforcement, international investigative agencies, European history, and the Spanish bullfighting industry, underpinned the strong foundations supporting these personal relationships.
The Coded Crucifix offered up surprisingly novel twists at the end. While the story’s plot took some turns which were unexpected, the various outcomes and how they splintered off from expectations showed an evolving outlook on the part of the writer. Terrorism and anti-terrorism efforts are both slogs requiring constant, laborious and at times sputtering actions by both evil and good. And just because one case is solved doesn’t mean another attack and the thwarting of it doesn’t just lurk around the corner. I enjoyed that Mr. Dummer subtlety conveyed the fatigue and failure that impacts and infects the minds of those characters stoically committed to bringing about the death to innocent civilians or saving humanity. The good guys don’t always win and the bad guys don’t always lose. That reality is on display in Mr. Dummer’s stellar book.
Lastly, I would like to read more about the backstory behind some of the main characters. There are references to Thornton’s wife Claire, a major character in Born of Bombs and Bullets. Her role in The Coded Crucifix is fairly minor but clearly Thornton has been traumatized by his relationship with her. I would like to know more about what happened to their marriage and how those feelings drive Thornton’s actions. Thornton’s relationship with Sarah Maylor of the international investigative team hints at a potential romantic relationship. This reader wanted to know if their close working relationship might lead to something of a personal nature. This could provide an interesting sidebar to the “all work and no play” collaboration between Thornton and Maylor.
These are small issues though and perhaps Mr. Dummer will further enrich Thornton’s character tapestry in his next book. I for one look forward to the next thriller to spill from the pen of
October 1, 2026
David A. Dummer’s The Coded Crucifix opens with a killer slipping into the crowds at Pamplona’s San Fermín festival, then rewinds a week to show how he got there. FBI psychologist Aaron Thornton has been summoned to England by MI5 because a former patient will speak only to him. The man warns of an IRA operation in Spain involving a mercenary known as El Gocho. Thornton and MI5 analyst Sarah Maylor head to Pamplona with little more than a date and a name, and their search leads them from a struggling bull ranch to a crucifix marked with coded directions. Dummer gives the investigation a firm deadline: each day brings the festival, and whatever the plotters have planned, closer.
The novel gets much of its energy from watching people with different pieces of the story act on what they know. Thornton and Maylor chase records and interview witnesses; El Gocho studies their movements and changes his appearance; a rancher fights to protect a family legacy whose history is surfacing in nearby fields. Dummer makes Pamplona feel busy and physical, with packed streets, church interiors, bull pens, and mountain paths all shaping what the characters can do. The details of bull breeding and the running of the bulls give the chase its distinctive setting. At times, the briefings and explanations slow the momentum, especially when several institutions must be introduced in quick succession. Even so, those details make the search feel like work carried out by people who have to earn each useful clue.
Readers of Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code will recognize the pleasure of following an old religious object toward a hidden location. Dummer pairs that puzzle with a modern intelligence operation, and the crucifix matters because different people read its marks, history, and whereabouts in different ways. The Spanish Civil War and its aftermath run through the mystery as living concerns for families in the present. A recovered object can offer a lead to investigators and news about a missing brother to someone who has waited decades. That human connection gives the historical material weight. It also makes the novel’s wide cast easier to follow: beneath the changing leads and loyalties, many characters are trying to decide what they owe the people who came before them.
Thornton’s own history gives the thriller another source of tension. His earlier ordeal in Belfast still affects his sleep, his judgment of danger, and his need to keep control when the case grows personal. His partnership with Maylor develops through shared legwork and growing trust, which helps ground the larger conspiracy. The Coded Crucifix builds toward a vivid pursuit through the bull run, where the geography and customs Dummer has spent time establishing become part of the action. The closing chapters leave consequences for several characters still unfolding, in keeping with a series built around Thornton. It’s an involving, research-rich thriller for readers who enjoy a clue trail with a strong sense of place and investigators who have personal stakes in where it leads.
The novel gets much of its energy from watching people with different pieces of the story act on what they know. Thornton and Maylor chase records and interview witnesses; El Gocho studies their movements and changes his appearance; a rancher fights to protect a family legacy whose history is surfacing in nearby fields. Dummer makes Pamplona feel busy and physical, with packed streets, church interiors, bull pens, and mountain paths all shaping what the characters can do. The details of bull breeding and the running of the bulls give the chase its distinctive setting. At times, the briefings and explanations slow the momentum, especially when several institutions must be introduced in quick succession. Even so, those details make the search feel like work carried out by people who have to earn each useful clue.
Readers of Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code will recognize the pleasure of following an old religious object toward a hidden location. Dummer pairs that puzzle with a modern intelligence operation, and the crucifix matters because different people read its marks, history, and whereabouts in different ways. The Spanish Civil War and its aftermath run through the mystery as living concerns for families in the present. A recovered object can offer a lead to investigators and news about a missing brother to someone who has waited decades. That human connection gives the historical material weight. It also makes the novel’s wide cast easier to follow: beneath the changing leads and loyalties, many characters are trying to decide what they owe the people who came before them.
Thornton’s own history gives the thriller another source of tension. His earlier ordeal in Belfast still affects his sleep, his judgment of danger, and his need to keep control when the case grows personal. His partnership with Maylor develops through shared legwork and growing trust, which helps ground the larger conspiracy. The Coded Crucifix builds toward a vivid pursuit through the bull run, where the geography and customs Dummer has spent time establishing become part of the action. The closing chapters leave consequences for several characters still unfolding, in keeping with a series built around Thornton. It’s an involving, research-rich thriller for readers who enjoy a clue trail with a strong sense of place and investigators who have personal stakes in where it leads.
October 18, 2026
Two dead bodies in a Pamplona apartment. A ruthless killer disappearing into the crowds gathering for Spain’s legendary Running of the Bulls. And an FBI psychologist caught in an international conspiracy with just seven days to prevent a catastrophe.
The Coded Crucifix is an ambitious terrorism thriller combining historical intrigue, psychological suspense, and a sprawling cast of characters whose seemingly separate stories gradually converge.
At the center is Dr. Aaron Thornton, an FBI psychologist and crisis negotiator still carrying emotional scars from his experiences in Northern Ireland. Summoned to England by MI5, Thornton learns that an IRA faction may be plotting an attack in Spain with the assistance of a mysterious mercenary known as El Gocho. The target is unknown, the intelligence is incomplete, and Thornton has been warned not to trust the very people directing the investigation.
One of the book’s greatest strengths is its use of history. Dummer connects Northern Ireland’s Troubles with Spain’s complicated political past, weaving in mysteries involving Franco-era secrets, Nazi escape routes, and generations of violence. The result is a thriller in which the past constantly intrudes upon the present.
Pamplona’s famous bull-running festival also provides a wonderfully distinctive setting. In one memorable scene, Thornton finds himself facing a charging bull at a fighting-bull ranch, a terrifying encounter that reflects his larger struggle to maintain control amid increasingly dangerous circumstances.
Dummer’s multi-perspective storytelling occasionally slows the central investigation, particularly when procedural details take precedence over action. But that same approach produces some of the book’s most satisfying surprises, as apparently minor characters and seemingly unrelated events acquire unexpected significance.
Although this is the second book in the series, it works well as a standalone. Returning readers will appreciate the appearances of familiar characters and the continued exploration of Thornton’s psychological vulnerabilities.
What ultimately distinguishes The Coded Crucifix is its combination of international intrigue and emotional depth. Thornton is no invincible action hero, and his personal struggles make the escalating danger feel consequential.
With unexpected reversals, historical mysteries, an unsettling adversary, and a satisfying payoff, Dummer has expanded the scope of his series without sacrificing its human dimension.
The Coded Crucifix is an ambitious terrorism thriller combining historical intrigue, psychological suspense, and a sprawling cast of characters whose seemingly separate stories gradually converge.
At the center is Dr. Aaron Thornton, an FBI psychologist and crisis negotiator still carrying emotional scars from his experiences in Northern Ireland. Summoned to England by MI5, Thornton learns that an IRA faction may be plotting an attack in Spain with the assistance of a mysterious mercenary known as El Gocho. The target is unknown, the intelligence is incomplete, and Thornton has been warned not to trust the very people directing the investigation.
One of the book’s greatest strengths is its use of history. Dummer connects Northern Ireland’s Troubles with Spain’s complicated political past, weaving in mysteries involving Franco-era secrets, Nazi escape routes, and generations of violence. The result is a thriller in which the past constantly intrudes upon the present.
Pamplona’s famous bull-running festival also provides a wonderfully distinctive setting. In one memorable scene, Thornton finds himself facing a charging bull at a fighting-bull ranch, a terrifying encounter that reflects his larger struggle to maintain control amid increasingly dangerous circumstances.
Dummer’s multi-perspective storytelling occasionally slows the central investigation, particularly when procedural details take precedence over action. But that same approach produces some of the book’s most satisfying surprises, as apparently minor characters and seemingly unrelated events acquire unexpected significance.
Although this is the second book in the series, it works well as a standalone. Returning readers will appreciate the appearances of familiar characters and the continued exploration of Thornton’s psychological vulnerabilities.
What ultimately distinguishes The Coded Crucifix is its combination of international intrigue and emotional depth. Thornton is no invincible action hero, and his personal struggles make the escalating danger feel consequential.
With unexpected reversals, historical mysteries, an unsettling adversary, and a satisfying payoff, Dummer has expanded the scope of his series without sacrificing its human dimension.
October 20, 2026
David Dummer's The Coded Crucifix, the second book in the Aaron Thornton series, sends the psychologist to Spain during the running of the bulls. The festival is described so intricately that you can feel the crush of the crowds and the tension in the streets. Thornton's strengths and struggles make him a lead worth rooting for.
The story moves quickly across multiple settings and never loses its thread. Dummer weaves in genuine historical facts and cultural traditions, so it's as educational as it is entertaining. It's also gritty and doesn't hold back, and the mystery stays layered and unpredictable to the end.
If you like an atmospheric mystery with a thoughtful protagonist and a strong sense of place, this one delivers. I loved it and can't wait for the next installment.
The story moves quickly across multiple settings and never loses its thread. Dummer weaves in genuine historical facts and cultural traditions, so it's as educational as it is entertaining. It's also gritty and doesn't hold back, and the mystery stays layered and unpredictable to the end.
If you like an atmospheric mystery with a thoughtful protagonist and a strong sense of place, this one delivers. I loved it and can't wait for the next installment.
October 1, 2026
Dummer’s second Aaron Thornton International Thriller delivers high-stakes international crime, suspense, and intrigue against the unforgettable backdrop of Pamplona’s Running of the Bulls. Dr. Aaron Thornton is a compelling, relatable protagonist whose personal struggles add emotional depth to a fast-paced story filled with danger, twists, and mounting tension. A gripping thriller that will keep readers turning the pages.
October 19, 2026
Once again, David A. Dummer has given us a riveting novel that offers fast-paced, complex dynamics. Dummer refuses to let his readers get bored. He refuses to keep his readers from learning. The Coded Crucifix keeps one in rapid page-turning mode, as the plot takes us to multiple international settings with continually pivoting questions and answers, leading up to a surprising and dramatic conclusion. A great read!
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews